In early American education, children were to bring their lunch from home. The responsibility was that of the family to provide food for their own children during school. The connection between nutrition and the students ability to learn was not one that was addressed in the schools. This system worked for children who had adequate food in the home, but those from poor and needy families would come to school either without food or with very little to eat. The national school lunch program did not happen in one year, it has been evolving over many years, with several changes due to trial and error, and types of funding.
What catalyst changed our belief?
In 1904 Robert Hunter’s book Poverty would influence the cry for the US to feed the poor and needy in the schools. In his book, Hunter addressed that insufficient nutrition had a direct impact on a child’s ability to learn. He stated that when children arrive at school hungry, their body is “languid" and "thin blood” make it impossible for the brain to be fed. Having a child sit at a desk all day every day, learning nothing due to hunger does not educate them. His plea was that if we feel that education is a matter of principle, then we need to take care of the physical needs to enable the education to take place.
As a reult of this book, several states and school systems implemented a program in their schools to feed students during the school day. In Boston, a pilot program for the elementary schools was started where the Home Economics class would prepare meals to be served at the students desk. In Wisconsin mothers who lived nearby the schools would make lunches for the students. In rural Wisconsin, they did not have nearby mothers to prepare the meals, so they would have the students bring different items in pint jars to put on a woodstove and simmer until noon, this was known as "the pint jar method."
The Depression in the 1930's brought on a unique solution to both the schools and the farmers with surplus commodities. The farmers were producing too much food to get a good price on it and the children attending school were not able to afford the lunches served, in addition to not having adequate food in the home to bring to school as a lunch. In 1936, Public Law 320 made suplus foods available for the school lunch program. It was designed so that the needy would have a hot lunch.
These lunches generally consisted of various forms of the surplus pork, dairy products and wheat. This law helped the farmers get a fair price on their food, and feed children who would otherwise have little or no food to eat at school.
Although a School Lunch act was passed in congress, it was not until 1946 that the congress realized that in order for schools to implement the program, they would need a guarantee that it would still be around in the future. Equipment and a room to cook in were expensive and schools did not want to join in if the program had the possibility of ending in the next year. The legislation passed in 1946 was identified as the "National School Lunch Act."
It was considered of upmost importance to invest in the health and well being of our children by providing healthy and nutritious foods. Not only would this feed the children, but it would also educate them on basic nutrition. The hope was that by doing this, it would educate the parents and encourage them to promote nutrition in the home.
What do we believe now?
The school lunch program has evolved to include very strict guidelines as to what types of foods and their proportions can be served in the schools. Students are served breakfast and lunch in the schools. Commodity foods are stilled served in the cafeterias today. Local farmers and national surplus foods like cheese, meats, and dairy products are some of the surplus foods served. Most schools have a cafeteria as part of the school building and nutrition information is sent home to the parents on a regular basis. Instead of just having one choice, in many schools students can decide whether have a hot lunch, a salad, or a bag lunch, and milk is served with each meal. The price of the meals vary according to income levels, and students have the option of applying for free or reduced rates and are not refused a meal if they do not have the money.
How do we still act in schools as if we still believe the "old" beliefs?
School are buying into franchises like McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut instead of offering healthy foods that are USDA approved. One estimate is that 23,000 schools in the US now have franchises in them and some cafeterias are actually becoming licensed franchises themselves. Vending machines are filled with sugary snacks and sodas, and children are filling up on junk instead of healthy foods. Instead of having a problem with children not getting enough to eat, there is an abundance of food, but the nutritional aspect is being largely ignored.
The National School Lunch Act - 1946
What we believed before.
In early American education, children were to bring their lunch from home. The responsibility was that of the family to provide food for their own children during school. The connection between nutrition and the students ability to learn was not one that was addressed in the schools. This system worked for children who had adequate food in the home, but those from poor and needy families would come to school either without food or with very little to eat. The national school lunch program did not happen in one year, it has been evolving over many years, with several changes due to trial and error, and types of funding.What catalyst changed our belief?
In 1904 Robert Hunter’s book Poverty would influence the cry for the US to feed the poor and needy in the schools. In his book, Hunter addressed that insufficient nutrition had a direct impact on a child’s ability to learn. He stated that when children arrive at school hungry, their body is “languid" and "thin blood” make it impossible for the brain to be fed. Having a child sit at a desk all day every day, learning nothing due to hunger does not educate them. His plea was that if we feel that education is a matter of principle, then we need to take care of the physical needs to enable the education to take place.
The Depression in the 1930's brought on a unique solution to both the schools and the farmers with surplus commodities. The farmers were producing too much food to get a good price on it and the children attending school were not able to afford the lunches served, in addition to not having adequate food in the home to bring to school as a lunch. In 1936, Public Law 320 made suplus foods available for the school lunch program. It was designed so that the needy would have a hot lunch.
These lunches generally consisted of various forms of the surplus pork, dairy products and wheat. This law helped the farmers get a fair price on their food, and feed children who would otherwise have little or no food to eat at school.
Although a School Lunch act was passed in congress, it was not until 1946 that the congress realized that in order for schools to implement the program, they would need a guarantee that it would still be around in the future. Equipment and a room to cook in were expensive and schools did not want to join in if the program had the possibility of ending in the next year. The legislation passed in 1946 was identified as the "National School Lunch Act."
What do we believe now?
The school lunch program has evolved to include very strict guidelines as to what types of foods and their proportions can be served in the schools. Students are served breakfast and lunch in the schools. Commodity foods are stilled served in the cafeterias today. Local farmers and national surplus foods like cheese, meats, and dairy products are some of the surplus foods served. Most schools have a cafeteria as part of the school building and nutrition information is sent home to the parents on a regular basis. Instead of just having one choice, in many schools students can decide whether have a hot lunch, a salad, or a bag lunch, and milk is served with each meal. The price of the meals vary according to income levels, and students have the option of applying for free or reduced rates and are not refused a meal if they do not have the money.How do we still act in schools as if we still believe the "old" beliefs?
School are buying into franchises like McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut instead of offering healthy foods that are USDA approved. One estimate is that 23,000 schools in the US now have franchises in them and some cafeterias are actually becoming licensed franchises themselves. Vending machines are filled with sugary snacks and sodas, and children are filling up on junk instead of healthy foods. Instead of having a problem with children not getting enough to eat, there is an abundance of food, but the nutritional aspect is being largely ignored.USDA Food and Nutrition Service
http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/lunch/AboutLunch/ProgramHistory.htm
Maine.gov Child Nutrition
http://www.maine.gov/education/sfs/nslp.htm
Morgan Spurlock - Links to Healthy School Lunch sites
http://www.donteatthisbook.com/better-school-lunches4.html
Photo Credits
Children eating in Cafeteria
Boy Drinking Milk
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/young/images/y20-3c01923r.jpg
Everyone Needs a Good Lunch
http://www.happydeathinc.com/propaganda/American/Pictures/goodlunch.jpg